VR content provides an “immersive experience.” VR content may include video and audio data. VR content may include cinematic films. A consumer of VR content (hereinafter, “viewer”) may look in different directions and experience different objects, narratives and/or sounds. VR content allows viewers to perceive between three and six directions and/or degrees of freedom. When experiencing VR content, the displayed video content may shift in response to the viewer looking up, down and side-to-side (pitch, yaw and roll). When experiencing VR content, the displayed video content may shift in response to movement of the viewer in a direction. Experiencing VR content typically requires specialized equipment to provide the desired immersive experience. Such specialized equipment may include wearable headsets and/or specialized processors. But, wherever and however experienced, a local copy of the VR content is typically obtained beforehand.
Typically, electronic data files storing VR content are large. For example, viewing VR content may require 750 mb-1 gb per minute of video data.
A “download before you experience” model has drawbacks. The viewer has to download an entire file before it can be viewed. VR data files are large and may take a relatively long time to download. Download times may be further slowed as a result of Internet Service Providers (“ISPs”) assigning a lower transmission priority to larger files.
Furthermore, a viewer must have available storage capacity to store the VR content. Stored VR data may remain on the viewing device even after the VR data has been viewed resulting in less available storage capacity for the viewer's other needs.
Sales of devices capable of VR content playback have been increasing. Piper Jaffray Investment Research (May 2015) predicts that sales of VR headsets will reach 12 million by the end of 2016.
VR headsets are increasingly operative with other common mobile devices. For example, current VR headsets utilize the screens and processing power of a viewer's smartphone or other mobile device. VR headsets and mobile devices typically operate on battery power. Viewing VR content may require intensive image processing power, which reduces battery life expectancy of a mobile viewing device.
Demand for access to VR content has been increasing. Viewers are expected to increase demand for on-demand high quality VR content. Viewers are further expected to demand a wide range of well organized, high-quality VR content that is viewable on the hardware device of their choice.
It would be desirable therefore to provide apparatus and methods for viewing VR content in a manner that provides a viewer with an immersive on-demand VR experience. It would further be desirable to provide producers of VR content a device-agnostic platform on which their content can be premiered and monetized.